Inclosed range-heating unit



Nov. 27, 1923. 1,475,760

c. J. FAY

INCLOSED RANGE HEATING UNIT Filed Oct. 20 1921 Patented Nov. 27, 1923. Ig UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL J. FAY, OI MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC PROD- UCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

mcnosnn RANGE-HEATING Um'r.

Application filed October 20, 1921. Serial No. 509,090.

. To all wfwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL J. FAY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Mansfield, in the county of'Richland and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Inclosed Range-Heating Units,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically heated apparatus and particularlyto electrical heating elements and it has for its object to produce aninclosed electric range-heating element.

In practicing my invention, I provide a refractory plate having a groovein one of its faces within which is located a resistor. A metalliccasing is provided with a heatinsulating member at its bottom, againstwhich is placed the bottom surface of the refractory plate, a relativelyheavy cover plate being located at the upper part of the casing tooperatively engage the grooved surface of the refractory plate. Terminalbars are located outside of the bottom of said casing and extendparallel thereto, their inner ends being suitably connected to theresistor member and their outer ends extending a short distance beyondthe periphery of the casing. A suitable clamping means serves to holdthe outer end of each 7 of the terminal bars in proper operativeposition relatively to said casing.

In the single sheet of drawings, Flgure 1 .is a view, partly in sideelevation and partly provided, in one of its flat surfaces, with 12 maybe of any suitableor desired contourin'lateral cross section to permitof main-- one or. more spiral grooves 12 in which is located a resistormember 13, which is here illustrated as comprising a helix of a suitablereslstor wire. The groove or grooves taining the resistor in itsposition therein.

A metallic casing 14: is in the form of a proper operative shallow. dishof relatively thin metal, its

contour being suchas to conform to the contour of the plate 11. Theinner diameter of the side wall 15 is slightly greater than the outerdiameter of the plate11 to rovide a small clearance 16 therebetween.

he bottom of the plate 11 is spaced from the innerbottom surface of themember 14 by a layer 17 of any suitable heat-insulating material, suchas asbestos. A relatively thlck metal plate 18 is located immediatelyadjacent the upper surface of the plate 11, and its outer peripheryengages the inner surface of the outer portion of the side wall 15. Ifnecessary, ordesirable, stiffening ribs 19 may be formed on the bottomsurface of the casing 14. A plurality of screw bolts 21 pro ect throughsuitable registering openings in the plate 18, the plate 11 and thecasmg 14 and are provided with nuts 22 to securely hold these members intheir proper operative positions relatively to each other.

A plurality of terminal bars, 23, 24 and 25, are located in a planeparallel to the heat ing element and extend from diametrally alinedpoints thereon. I have illustrated three terminal bars, as it isintended to connect portions of the resistor element in series and inparallel-circuit relation, respectively, to generate different degreesof heat. The inner ends of the terminal bars 23 and 25 are spaced fromthe layer 17 by a suitable conducting block 26, relatively largeopenings 27 being provided in the bottom of the casing at the peripherythereof. The inner end of the terminal bar 24.- is also spaced from thelayer 17 by the conducting block 26 for which a relatively large opening28 is provided. A screw 29 and a nut 30 serve to operatively connect theinner end of each of the terminal bars to the resistor. The outer endsof the bars extend substantially parallel to each other and projectthrough openings 31 in a member 32 of suitable insulating material whichis secured against the under surface of the casing 11 by means of asingle resilient clamping member 33 substantially of U-shape, the outerends of which are secured by means of screws 34 and nuts 35. Theterminal bars illustrated in the drawing are not specifically parts ofmy invention but are covered in a copending application, Serial No.480,276, filed by Frank F. Forshee, June 25, 1921, and assigned to theWestinghouse Electric Products Company.

The small clearance 16 between the outer side wall casing, and theheat-insulating la-yer 1? located between the bottom of the plate andthe casing also reduces the heat flow between the twomembers. Therelatively thin metal of the casing reduces the amount of heat which maybe stored therein and radiation therefrom may be reduced by suitablypolishing or even plating the outer surface. The relatively heavy member18 provides a heat-receiving, heat-equalizing and heat-radiating memberwhich has a relatively large heat-storage capacity.

The construction herein disclosed provides a totally inclosed heatingelement effective to distribute the heat over the entire surface of theupper surface-plate of the element and to protect the resistor againstany liquid or food boiling over from the cooking vessel placed thereon.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my inventionWithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof and I desire thatonly such limitations shall be placedthereon as are imposed by the priorart or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim 'as my invention 1 1. In a totally inclosed heating element, incombination, a refractory resistor-supporting member, a radiant resistorsupported thereby, a relatively heavyheat-receiving and heat-radiatingmember adjacent said radiant resistor, a dished relatively thin metalliccasing substantially enclosing said refractory member, means forreducing the heat flow between said refractory member her, a resistorlocated in said groove. a relatively thin metallic casing of dish shapein which said refractory member is located, means for reducing the flowof heat from said refractory member and said resistor to said casing, arelatively heayy-heat-receiving and heat-radiating plate engaging thegrooved surface of said refractory member and means for securing saidplate, refractory member andheat-fiowreducing means in said casing.

3. In a totally inclosed heating element, in combination, a groovedrefractory memher, a resistor located in said groove, a relatively thinmetallic casing'of dish shape in Which said refractory member islocated, means for reducing the flow of heat from said refractory memberand said resistor to said casing, a relatively heavy heat-receivgroovedsurface of said refractory member, erminal bars for said resistor, andmeans for securing said plate, refractory member,

heat-flow-reducing means and said terminal bars against said casing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my'name this 17 day ofOct. 1921.

CARL J. FAY.

mg and heat-radiating plate engaging the

